Counter.



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IV i lIIII N l j! I f/ I l l f 1. c. sNo-WDEN.

COUNTER.

APPLmATIoN ruim Jung, 1910.

Patented Apr.4,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET -2.

WITNESSES:

IRVIN C. SNOWDEN, 0F RICHMOND, MISSOURI.

COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application led June 9, 1910. Serial N0. 565,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, InviN C. Sivownnx, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond, in the county oi' Ray and State of Missouri, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Counters, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in counters, and consists in certain novel coiistruc tions, and combinations of parts, hereinailter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a counter especially designed for grocery stores, wherein a separate bin or receptacle is provided for each class of bulk goods, and wherein each bin is provided with a display compartment, showing the nature and quality of the goods in the particular bin or coinpartment.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement from the front, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, Fig. 3 is a top plan view, Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional section, and Fig. 5 is a partial rear view.

yThe embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings consists of 4one section of the improved counter, and the sections may he of any desired length, and each may ybe coniplete in itself, or adaptedto join end to end with the adjacent sections. The counter is of suitable material, and may be ornamcnted in any desired manner, and the bins or eoinpartnients may be ofvarious sizes in accordance with the nature of the goods. Preferably eaeh section consists et' a base composed of a plate 1 of suilieientwidth, having on its under face a continuous rib 2 spaced apart inwardly from the edge of the plate, and running parallel therewith, the plate being supported by the rib. At each end cheek plates 3 extend upwardly from the base, and a. wash or base board et is arranged longitul dinally on the upper face ot the base plate. The Wash or base board is perpendicular to the plate 1, and extends from one check plate to the other, and `the bins are supported by the said board andthe cheek plates. A curved plate 5 forms the frontI and a part ot' the bottoni of the bins, the said plate having a portion 6 substantially vertical, and an inclined portion 7 which rests on the upper edge of the base board 4. The remaining portion of the bottom of the bins is formed by a plate S inclined inwardly and down- 5.3

wa rdly with respect to the base, and meeting the inclined portion 7 oi the plate 5 at an ob tuse angle as shown in Fig. l. A bar 9 extends between tlie cheek plates and forms the back ot' the bins, and the arrangement of the 60 bottom ot' the. bins is in hopper shape and such that all ol the material moves downwardly toward the 'junction ot the plate 5 and S.

A plate 10 is arranged between the cherk plates, willi its widest dimension perpendicular, and in substantially the saine plane with the base board ll, and a plate 11 is arranged betweeii the cheek plates adjacent to the lower edge ot the plate 10, with its widest dimensions horizontal, and with its front edge abutting thc loweredge ol' the said plate 10. A strip l2 rests on the upper ends `of the eh'ee; plates, and on the upper edge o'l' the plate 10, and a door 13 hinged to 75 the strip by hinges 141-. The door extends the full length oi the section, and forms the top of the counter and normally rests at its ends on the upper ends of the cheek plates, and

on the upper edge of the plate 5. A strip 15 80 is arranged between ,the cheek plate below the plate 1l, and with its widest dimension vertical, and the said strip is spaced in front ofthe back 9 oit' the bins.

The space between the plates 5-S-13M10 85 and 11, and the bar 9 and strip 15 is the storage compartment, and is divided by vertical partitions 16 into a plurality of bins 16 ot" ditl`erent sizes. Flach bin is provided with a.

door 17, hinged to the strip l5 by hinges 1S, 90

and the free edge of each door is beveled as shown at lt), and rests on the upper beiteled edge'oi the barril, a handle 20 being prodided for opening each door. 5

The portion t3 el the plate 5 is pro\ided 95 with anopening 2l, adjacent to cach bin, and each openingl is closed by a sheet ol" trans* parent material, such as glass. A receptacle is lorined behind each opening, by means of a rectangular sheet Q3 of rigid material hav- 100 ing` its bottoni and side. edges oliset laterally as shown at 21, andslidable in guides 9.5 secured to the rear rtaee of the plate The guides are 'formed by a strip of rigid niaterial arranged vertically between each pair m5 ot' openings (Fig. and secured by .its center as at 26, the edges ot the strip being otiset laterally Vfrom the tace of the plate, to

` plane'with the strip, but with its lower edgepaced above the upper edge of the strip, to

orm an opening 30. The upper edge of thel plate 29 ishigher than the upper edge of the plate-10, and a plate 31 isarranged be tween the said upper edges in inclined position. Partitions 32 are arranged trans versely betwePen the plate 10v and the plate 29 and strip 28,"and the said partitions' divide the space' between'the plates and strip into aplurali'ty of compartments k32?, and the plate 31 1s provided with an opening 33 adjacent to each compartment, the openings being closed by panes 34:l of glass or other transparent material.

l.Astri-p 35 is arranged in inclined position between the plate 10 and the strip 28, and forms the bottom of the compartments, thesaid strip inclining downwardly toward the front, and above the opening 30, a second strip 36 is arranged, also inclining down-V wardly toward the front.- The ,strip .36' is Secured-by its rear edge to the plate 29, and the front edge is free.- The said strip 36 acts as a shield or'hood for the opening 30,

so that only a small amount of material may pass belowthe strip onto the bottom strip 35. As the material is removed from the strip 35,-new material enters from above, but

the material can never overflow through the opening30.v

, The material in the compartments 32* is always visible through the corresponding openings 33, and a specimen quantity ofthe material in e'ach compartment or bin-1Ga is always visible' through the opening 21 adjacent to the compartment.,

when the bin is to be manetta@ S11-eet' may'.be pulled upwardly to permitthemafl terial to dropv out between the lower edge of the sheet-and the glass, and the space bc- `r tween the. glass andV sheetniay then be filled with fresh goods. When it is desired to clean the glass, or to gain access thereto ,for any reason, the sheet may be removed by ypulling it upwardly.

The bins andcompartments may' be. and preferably are linedvvith a suit-able material, as for instance sheet metal, and a comparatively wide'spaceis left on theupper face of theplate 1l;` for handling goods, or furthe scales, or for any other purpose.

" The bi `s are easily cleaned, as are also the compartments 3; andthe goods conf-W tained therein are protected from dirt and the like. Thev bins are filled by lifting thedoor 13, and the material is removed ,through the doors 17. l l l Belowfthe bins'and behind the base board 4 is a large space for orders already filled, or for unopened packages, and' when anything'is placed in the said space it will be out of the way, thus leaving the space behind th'el counter entirely free.

W'ith the improved counter a large amount of goods can be stored in an easily accessible y position, and without taking upany room,

-since the space occupied Aby the ordinary form of counter. is usually wastespace, or

filled' with unsightly boxes and, barrels.

With the improved counter any article of goods is open tothe buyers inspection, withl out any effort on the partof the seller.

. 85 1. A eountertconsisting of a base, a recepf tacle havinga hopper .bottom supported on,v

the base'and extending' longitudinally there?" of, transversey partitions dividing thereceptacleinto compartments',4 a rear door for each compartment, the receptacle havingnan opening in its front adjacent. to each' comxpartment, a sheet' of transparent' material;

for each ope-umg, means behind each openf ing for supporting a specimen ofrthevcontents of the adjacentcompartment, said receptacle having'a portion of the top' ath the rear thereof olifsetdownwardly, and aplu-l rality of compartments on the'oi'set portion, each having a'display opening.

2. A counter consisting of a base, a receptacle supported' on 4the base, transverse par titions dividing the receptacle into compartments, the receptacle having an opening in its front'ladjacent to each compartment, a.

vSheet of transparent material foreach opening, means beh-ind each opening ifor supporting a specimen of the contents of the adjacent compartment, said receptacle vhavinga portion 'tof the -to i at the rear thereof offset downwardly, lan' a plurality of coinpartr'nents ont-he offset portion, each-of]the,l

said compartments having'a display opening.

3. A counter consistingof a base, a recep,

tacle pupported on the base, transverse partitions, dividing the receptacle into compartments, the receptacle having an opening inl its front adjacent to. each compartment, a sheet of transparent material for 'each opening, means behindeach opening for supporting a specimen of the-contents of the adjacent compartment, said receptacle having a .portion of the top )at the rearthereof' offset' il" downwardly, and a plurality ments on the ofl'set portion.

\ of compart- 4. A'counter of the character specified,

comprising a base anda receptacle support-- eden the base', said rc'ceptaclclniving a top f at its front edgeand havingv a downwardly oi'lset portion at thcrear of the top, and a.

plurality of compartments on the o`setporl tionreach of the said compartments having ,a display opening.

y 5. A counter of the character specified, 5 comprising a base, a receptacle having a hopper bottom supported on the base, transverse partitions dividing the receptacle into compartments, a. rear door for each compartment, a hinged top for the receptacle at the front thereof, the rear 'of the receptacle 10 being offset downwardly, and a plurality of compartments on the oiset portion.`

IRVIN C. SNOWDEN. Witnesses:

R. B. KIRKPATRICK, T. N. LAvELooK. 

